Chapan; Badakhshanis’ traditional textile fabric

10/07/2016

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People in the northern zone, particularly, northeastern Badakhshan province of the country, mostly wear Chapan (a long overcoat, with ancient name of cloak), during winter season, especially when gratify an invitee.

Abdul Baqi, with a chapan shop in Kabul, told The Kabul Times that the textile have been mostly hand sewn by the women in Badakhsahn province, but became common to be stitched by the young boys and girls willing to get engaged in the handicrafts and offer to the market for making money.

He lauded the Badakshani people for being professional in the skill as he said this industry had good market around the country’s big cities.

Baqi, who is native to Badakhshan’s provincial city, Faizabad added that chapan is also used by the elders to appear as a character of dignity among the people, but it has got common use among the youth as well.

The special outfit is also used by the people as a traditional fashion, when attending a wedding party or a special ceremony, said Ghulam Mihiddin who runs a shop in Kabul’s Shahr-e-Naw city.

According to him, chapan market has turned popular around the country, particularly, recently in the capital Kabul, with most of the users are youths.

Excessive use of the costume helped it turn partially into a national dress among the whole Afghans.

The outfit is also used during the harsh winter for keeping people warm and the users to be admirable among their tribes, said Mihiddin in an interview with The Kabul Times.

He said the price of each of the traditional overcoat was between 4 and 10,000 Afghanis considering to their designs and styles.

In the long pasts, chapan which has been admired as kherqa (cloak), a sacred clothing of the prophets and the tribal elders, are attached admirable positions among the followers and the ordinary people.

To respect someone, including a vising elder, governor or other special guests, even recently foreign visitors, people usually dress them up the fancy outfit, showing the women’s delicate handicrafts, he said.

A Kabul citizen, Farid believed in the past, people were not interested in the local and traditional costumes, but when leaving out of the country, they see the Afghan culture are mostly drawing attentions from the foreign citizens, even have good market abroad, so they are now showing willingness to buy and use them, both inside and outside the country.

“I want to buy a chapan; though, with high price, during my wedding party after the Eid-ul-Azdha to popularize and institutionalize more our Afghan culture,” said Farid who was seen impatiently waiting for the deadline arrival.